My Marshall's $150 Fall Fashion Challenge

Oh brother.  I am so tired of my drawers full of capris and tee shirts that I can hardly wait for the temperatures to drop so I can do the seasonal clothing switch.  But that's not going to work enough magic because I know that all those jeans and sweaters I packed away in the spring are also just going to make my eyes roll back in my head.  On the bright side, given that my boredom bar is so low, it's a good thing I don't invest buckets of cash into my wardrobe.
Last week's "Project Runway" outlined the looks for fall 2010.  Men's wear for women?  Ummm, maybe.  Military?  Absolutely.  The rest imminently forgettable for me, which is a sure sign I can ignore whatever categories they described.  And as far as what Tim Gunn described as 'the textiles", there's plaid (hell would freeze over first), lace (pretty much a ditto there), camel holds a certain appeal but I can't say the same for the metallics or animal prints.  So looks like I'm going to have to venture outside the official list.  I can do that.

So I've got a vague idea of a new look and I'm ready to throw down the gauntlet and challenge myself.  Here's my goal: To buy the basics of a new look for fall at Marshall's for $150.  Or less.

Can I do it?  I think I can. 

Here's the shopping list/ goal: 
3 tops/sweaters that can go with-
2 pairs of pants (black or grey or maybe one will be a pair of jeans. I've always loved jeans)
1 jacket either menswearish or military, to top off the mix and match ensemble. 

I begin this weekend and I can't wait to see how it goes. 

Touring Long Island's East End

So John, currently living in Canada, is planning a trip to Long Island this weekend and asked me what he could see or do on the East End.  An interesting assignment... which got me thinking and mentally touring and I came up with these suggestions, for starters.  I'm pretty sure I'll think of way more as the day goes on.

En route to the picturesque north fork, plan a stop at the Davis Peach Farm in Wading River... http://davispeachfarm.com/wp/ Looks like you can pick them yourself (and I'm thinking that sounds so good, maybe I'll go do that!)

Heading out to the North Fork

Drive out to the north fork along Sound Avenue/Route 48. Great drive for farmlands and vineyards and scenery...

The Long Island Sound... Sunset o'clock

You can go to Greenport and stroll the town and lunch on the wharf or, If you want, to just keep driving east, the route is even more exquisite and will you'll eventually wind up at the northern tip of the island and ferry terminal at Orient Point (stop at CandyMan in Orient to treat your sweet tooth). The ferry crosses the sound to Connecticut, but then you're too far... nice ride though. You could conceivably walk on the ferry for a round trip.

Head back from Orient or Greenport along the Main Road- Route 25. Great architecture, lovely little towns and farm stands... 

A nice Saturday night option "Experience the magic of Taste Long Island, a Saturday evening wine and cheese cruise aboard the Atlantis Explorer Tour Boat. Featuring local wines, this adventure along the Peconic River (departing from Riverhead) is a relaxing way to savor both beautiful scenery and fine wine. Reserve your spot today by calling 631.208.9200, ext. H2O (426). Guests 21 and older only." http://www.atlantismarineworld.com/visitor-specialevents.html

The Altantic Ocean from Dune Road

Equal time for the south shore- Take Sunrise Highway to Eastport and take Montauk Hwy into Westhampton Beach and drive down to Dune Road.                

Once across the bridge, if you head west (make a right), you'll get to Suffolk County's Cupsogue Beach http://www.exploreli.com/beaches/cupsogue-beach-county-park-1.854399#& where you can gaze on the Atlantic Ocean and grab a hot dog at the snack shack.

If you head east (make a right) you'll go past more pretentious ocean front mansions (Susan Lucci's among them) and charming cottages, ending in Hampton Bays at Oakland's.  http://www.oaklandsrestaurant.com/   You can take the Hampton Bays bridge back up to the 'mainland' and if you want to continue east, drive out through Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Easthampton, Amagansett. and eventually wind up at the end of the U.S in Montauk. 

Interesting places to stop and eat or grab a snack on the north fork:

• Star Confectionary on Main Street/ Route 25 in Riverhead (they make thier own ice cream and serve up in traditional glass sundae glasses and banana split bowls)
• Modern Snack Bar on Main Road/Route 25 in Aquebogue, A through back to the 50's restaurants.
• Claudio's in Greenport - feels like the most traditional Long Island seafood restaurant. or there's their Clam Bar on the wharf

After this, it's time for a road trip for me too.  Luckily I can do it anytime cause I live here. Lucky me.

How I'm Saving the Magazine Industry

With apologies to my mailman, I’m doing my part to support the publishing industry. Specifically, the magazine arm of the publishing industry. Which is why, this morning, MailGuy is having to nurse his aching back as he climbs out of bed.

I could say it all started with Oprah, as so much in pop culture does. Her recent show celebrating the 10th anniversary of “O” was attended by a few popular Oprahites (Dr. Phil, Suze Orman…) talking of their contributions to the special 10th issue with articles on ten this-that-and-the-other thing. As there is little I appreciate more than a Cliff notes feature on how to improve any aspect of my life, after an hour with Oprah and Friends, I made a mental note to buy my own copy.

But even before that, after the affable and endearing Anthony won the Marie Claire cover challenge during Season 7 Project Runway, I stalked the magazine racks at CVS until Heidi turned up in the blue dress.

But even before that, when I heard that Jeff Beck was featured alongside Eric Clapon in a cover story on Rolling Stone, I just had to get a copy of my own.

Here’s what happened next, after Jeff Beck and Anthony’s dress and Suze’s sage financial advice, I remembered how much I love magazines. And after taking in the Beck/Clapton feature and every other article and review in the pages of RS, I made the big commitment and signed up for a subscription.

And while I opted to pass on bringing Marie Claire home on a monthly basis (forgive me for saying this, Tim and Heidi and Nina, but I’m just not that much of a fashionista) I also decided to subscribe to a monthly dose of “O”. Only here’s where I got smart, or so I thought.

Rather than take the first postcard offer that fell out from between the pages, I shopped the price of a subscription. And it turns out that Amazon.com had a great offer on “O”. So I signed up. And then it turned out that Amazon.com also had a great offer on a slew of others, so I added one more to my cart, than another.

The mail came yesterday. And tucked in with my electric bill was a stack of magazines that now includes “Travel and Leisure”, “Ladies Home Journal”, “Better Homes and Gardens”, “Redbook”, “Entertainment Weekly”, “Wired” along with the previously sited “O” and the one that started it all “Rolling Stone”.

The publishing industry must love me. I may just be one person, but I’ve got a credit card and a mailbox and I know that when you put them all together that spells one more subscriber. It may not single-handedly be able to help them profit, but I’m doing the best I can… and I encourage you to join me. Magazines are fun, filled with little morsels, tips, stories, and ideas that you can tear out and share. They’re compact enough to toss in a carry-on for a flight, bring along to kill clock in a waiting room and easy to pass on or leave behind to others who may find the content compelling, amusing or informative.

And I know that Amazon loves me, too. Because now, every day or so, I get a fresh, new email chock full of subscription suggestions like more serious fare “Time” and “Newsweek”, timely suggestions like “Field & Stream” (Father’s Day is coming!) and “Dog Fancy” (Take Your Dog to Work Day is Coming!) and, from the that’s-a-magazine? category, issues of “Predator”, “Wakeboarding” and “Birds & Blooms”.

I’d better stop opening those emails from Amazon or I could wind up like one of those episodes of “Hoarders” where I’m discovered buried alive under a mountain of magazines. Plus, I’m not going to have much time for email anymore what with all these articles waiting to be read. In this stack alone, I’ll be learning three ways to tap into my intuition, how to drop ten pounds fast, (which is separate from: baking the best chocolate cake ever), how to tip in Tuscany, why “Karate Kid” is such a hit and how to tell when it’s time to move on.

And when I’m all done with the current issues, maybe I’ll pass them on to my mail man to read while he recovers from a mysterious back injury.